


Cut Me Down

by Imaflesheatingdisease



Category: Split (2016)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Mutual Pining, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Stockholm Syndrome, will add tags as needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-10-31 18:16:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17854688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imaflesheatingdisease/pseuds/Imaflesheatingdisease
Summary: It’s been four years since Casey Cooke escaped the Philadelphia Zoo.  Out from under her uncles thumb, she’s trying to get used to living a normal life.  She has a normal job, a normal apartment, a normal boyfriend. But when she sees a familiar pair of haunting blue eyes for the first time in four years, the normal life she’s tried so hard to hold on to seems to come crashing down around her.





	1. Hunted

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> This one is a little short because it’s just more of a prologue than a true first chapter.   
> This is my first fic and it is definitely unbeta’d.  
> Let me know what you think! I’m very excited for where I have this fic going. (:

    The air outside was much too cold for so late in February. It had snowed several days ago and it left Philadelphia cold and white. Casey felt that the snow had left the world much too bright as she looked out the windows of her favorite coffee shop to the world around her. Everything was too bright, ever since that day. It had been four years since The Horde had taken her. Four years since she met Kevin Wendell Crumb. Four long years since Patricia, sweet Hedwig, Barry and the Beast; four years since him.

    Casey watched the people milling through the streets, unaware of the potential dangers that lurked around every corner. They had no idea what truly went bump in the night, but she did. The petite waitress startled Casey from her reverie as she set down the girls fresh coffee. She returned the waitresses polite smile and turned her eyes back to the world beyond the glass, wrapping her chilled hands around the warm cardboard cup. With a gentle sip of her coffee, she continued to watch the busy streets and contemplate what she would do with her first day off in ten days. She heaved a contented sigh, the warm coffee filling her stomach. In that moment, that blissful moment, she felt it.

    The fine hair on the back of her neck and arms stood on end as a chill ran down her spine. She gripped the coffee in her hand as though it were a lifeline. She had only felt this way once before. It had been four years since she’d had this very same sinking feeling. Slowly and deliberately, she looked up to the windows. Her eyes carefully swept from one side of the building to the other. Casey struggled to stay calm and collected as she scanned the crowd for the familiar figure. She knew, however, that she would only see their imposing frame when they wanted to be seen.

    While her eyes scanned the people on the street, her hands were carefully gathering her things into the messenger bag she used as a purse. She was preparing to run as the chill in her bones turned into a nervous hum. If she didn’t see him she was going to calmly leave the cafe and walk down the street to find some place much more crowded. The only thing left before her on the table was the brand new iPhone she had purchased a few days prior. Just as her scanning gaze reached the market across the street, her stomach dropped.

    There, in plain view on the sidewalk, was the figure that lurked around every corner, occupied every shadow and visited all of her dreams. For a moment neither of them moved. She sat, frozen, as her eyes met with calm, stormy blue orbs. Her breath was even and calm as she waited for a small group to pass the windows, maybe she would be the one to move first. To run, to really escape this time. When the group finally passed, her eyes settled on something that made her heart pound in her chest.

    The eyes that met her own across the busy street were no longer calm and stormy. Now, they were a brilliant blue only partially obscured behind a pair of black rimmed glasses. Casey sat as still as a doe listening for any sound to signal a hunter. The two of them stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. It took only a moment for the the world to begin moving in fast forward. She sat, half way out of her seat and braced to run when a single word slipped from her lips that seemed to ignite a fire under both of their feet. It was just a whisper, but he saw it and he understood what it was.

    “Dennis.”

    The name slipped from her lips before she realized what she had said but the way his eyebrows furrowed even farther told her all she needed to know. Even though he was across the street, beyond a pane of glass, he knew what his name looked like rolling from her lips. Whether it be a gentle plea for him to listen or a scream, he knew and he reacted.

    The moment Casey saw him begin to move across the street, she stood as calmly as she was able to move her legs and walked towards the emergency exit next to the bathrooms. She pushed open the door with a shaky hand, surprised that there was no alarm. If she was lucky, she could get around the corner before he reached her. She knew though, Dennis was much taller than herself and his stride was greater and that gave him an advantage.

    When the door was half closed behind her, she dug her feet into the pavement and broke into a run. Casey knew there was a mall around the corner that would be densely populated at this time in the afternoon but, she also knew that the shortest route to it was through an old parking garage. She could waste time trying to get through the crowded sidewalk, or risk him catching up to her in the garage. She had a decision to make, and fast.

    Against her better judgment, she forfeit the safety of a crowd in exchange for the shortcut. Her quick steps echoed in the concrete parking structure and she couldn’t be sure if she was hearing her steps alone, or if there was a second set behind her. She had her answer when a noise echoed through the structure that halted her in her tracks.

    “Casey.” His deep voice reverberated against the concrete. She hated the way that all he needed was to say her name. More than anything, she hated the way it echoed in her mind like a lovers whisper; soft against her ear and it gave her goosebumps. Slowly, Casey turned to face him and her breath caught in her throat. It was as though time had stopped for him. His blue eyes were still just as captivating and commanding, his shoulders just as broad. She was shocked that he looked exactly the same.

_Exactly like your dreams._ The words coursed through her mind and she shook them from her head. She couldn’t admit that she had missed him on some level. Casey had only ever told one person the way she thought about Dennis. Her therapist, and she had said it was simply Stockholm Syndrome and that Casey would come to realize that it wasn’t real. It had been four years, and she still had dreams about those eyes. She still had dreams about his arms around her, his voice whispering in her ear. He couldn’t know that though, none of the alters could.

    Tentatively, Dennis made his way towards her. She watched, wary and ready to run. When there was only six feet between them, he stopped. Her eyes never left him as he looked her over. When his blue eyes finally met hers, she had to repress a shudder. They were just as piercing and appraising as she remembered, as if he could see right through her.

    Gently, she reached forward towards him. His eyes watched her every move, like a wild animal. Casey paused just before her shaky hand reached the side of his face, unsure if she should touch him. Would he scold her? Or would he disappear into dust like he did in all of her dreams? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What would she do if he vanished? But the thought thy truly plagued her, was what would she do if he didn’t?

    When she felt warmth against her palm her eyes shot open. Her breath hitches as she took in the sight before her. Dennis had turned to rest his face against her palm. His eyes were closed and his shaky breath ghosted across her wrist. When he opened his eyes and his cold blue gaze met hers, Casey felt herself let out a quiet sob. He was real and he was here. She could touch him but more than that, she could hold him. Her thumb gently brushed against his rough cheekbone and he sighed against her skin. With another choked sob, Casey shook her head. This couldn’t happen, he couldn’t be here. She was doing fine without him. She was finally normal again. With quiet tears streaming down her face, she slowly pulled away from him. His brow furrowed as he realized what she was doing.

    With a final shake of her head that sent her dark hair flying around her face, she whispered a single word. A single word that brought her world down around her.

    “No.” She whispered.

    With that, Casey turned and ran.


	2. Safe and Ignorant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My dear, you wanted to make sure that she was safe, did you not?” Patricia cooed. Dennis hated when she talked to him that way, like he was stupid. Making the choice to ignore Patricia, he returned his gaze to the crowded Philadelphia streets and let his mind wander. His day definitely not gone as planned, not that he was truly complaining. In fact, his day had taken a rather surprising turn. To think that he had gone out to get laundry detergent and bleach and instead, he found the only person that had ever really accepted him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold, the first true chapter.  
> Still unbeta’d.  
> Also, I’m working on something else for this fic as well that I’ll share when I’m done. (:  
> Enjoy!

    Casey ran until her lungs burned, and her cheeks stung. Whether it was from the icy air or silent tears, she wasn’t sure.  In the end, it didn’t matter anyway; she just had to keep running. Her legs were on fire and her feet ached from their rhythmic pounding on the sidewalk. It didn’t matter that every other person on the street that day stared at her.  All that mattered was getting home, away from him.

 

    She didn’t stop running until the door to her apartment slammed shut behind her.  Hurriedly, Casey locked the deadbolt and backed away from the door. Her breath was coming fast and labored as her heart made a valiant attempt at breaking through her chest.  In her haste to get away from the door she didn’t notice the pair of shoes that were on the floor in front of her old leather couch. With a startled yelp, Casey went over backwards.  As she lay on the floor between her couch and second hand oak coffee table she couldn’t help the small giggle that bubbled up from within her.

 

    Laying there on the floor, she barely registered the hurried footsteps coming from farther within her apartment.  When she looked up, Casey couldn’t help the loud laughter that erupted from her at the worried look on her boyfriends face.  “Case, what the hell?” He asked, looking down at her like she had gone mad. Reaching her hand out to him she shook her head, trying to calm her hysterical laughter.  When he pulled her to her feet she took a deep, calming breath and simply looked at him for a moment; as though trying to burn his face in her mind.

 

    Nicholas Garza was average height and had an athletic build. His olive skin complimented his black hair nicely and his eyes were a brilliant shock of green.  He had a heart shaped faced and seemed to have a smile permanently stuck on his lips. Nick was kind and caring, his sense of humor legendary among those who knew him.  Casey had met him two years ago at a coworkers birthday party, where he pointed out that she’d gotten a small dot of ink on the denim jacket she was wearing. “It looks like you did it on purpose,” he had remarked with a smile.  She had smiled and immediately taken off the jacket; she’d never told him why.

 

    By the end of the night, they had exchanged phone numbers and were soon texting every day.  Not long after that they were dating and, as of three months ago, had keys to each other’s apartments.  When Casey told him about her uncle, he had cried and told her that he was glad that he was behind bars.  From then on, she always told him everything. Everything, except a single event that happened four years prior.  No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him about an imposing figure with the broadest shoulders she’d ever seen.  She couldn’t tell him about a set of intense blue eyes and black glasses that haunted her dreams.

 

    With a deep sigh and her laughter finally calmed, Casey leaned forward into Nicks embrace.  He was warm and, as she gently curled her fingers in the fabric of his shirt, she found herself focusing on the earthy scent of his cologne.  The almost overpowering scent of amber and sandalwood helped to bring Casey back to herself. She was home, and her boyfriend was here with her; she was safe, in an apartment and not underneath the zoo.

 

    “Case, are you okay?”  Nick asked, as he pulled her from him to look at her.  His kind face was full of concern. “Yeah,” she whispered with a smile.  This poor man was so sweet and so understanding, even on days when she didn’t want him to touch her.  He acknowledged that she was broken and accepted her regardless. Granted, he didn’t quite understand but he tried his best.  In reality, she knew of only one person who could truly understand everything she had been through in her life. Casey didn’t want to think about that right now, however.  She didn’t want to think about blue eyes that looked through her rather than at her. With a sigh, she reached up on her toes to plant a small kiss on Nick’s cheek. “I’m going to get changed and then, what do you say we go get something for lunch?” Casey asked as she walked back towards her bedroom.  As much as she loved the safety of being home, she was starving and hadn’t gone grocery shopping yet. She barely heard Nicks agreement as she closed the door behind her.

 

    Once alone, Casey stood in front of the full-sized mirror that rested against the wall next to her large dresser.  She needed a moment to herself, especially after what happened at the cafe. Standing there in front of her reflection, she wondered if she looked different.  Did she look the same as she had those years ago? Had it taken them a moment to recognize her? She wasn’t sure if a part of her really hoped she looked different enough that they would have needed time to realize who she was, or if she wanted them to know it was her at first glance.  Additionally, did Nick notice that something was wrong? Did she seem panicked? Casey desperately hoped not. Shaking the thoughts from her head, she turned to dig through her clothes. If they were going back outside, she needed clothes that she hadn’t been seen in.

 

__________

 

   

    Dennis stood, looking out the window of a quiet book store.  As he looked up at the large apartment building he ran his hand over the short cropped hair on his head. “Patricia, why are we here?” He asked softly.  Squeezing his eyes shut, he shook his head minutely. “I...I don’t want to be here.” All he had wanted was to make sure that Casey was okay, he hadn’t wanted to follow her but someone else had taken the light and now here they were.  With an aggravated sigh, a gentle voice responded to him.

 

    “My dear, you wanted to make sure that she was safe, did you not?”  Patricia cooed. Dennis hated when she talked to him that way, like he was stupid.  Making the choice to ignore Patricia, he returned his gaze to the crowded Philadelphia streets and let his mind wander.  His day definitely not gone as planned, not that he was truly complaining. In fact, his day had taken a rather surprising turn.   To think that he had gone out to get laundry detergent and bleach and instead, he found the only person that had ever really accepted him.

 

    Earlier that afternoon, Patricia had taken the light in order to get them through the crowded streets.  She and Barry often traded the light in order to get them through large crowds that Dennis couldn’t tolerate.  When she told him that the light was his, he’d thought they were at the store; he hadn’t expected to see _her_.  It had taken him a moment to realize what he was looking at, but when he did the world seemed to stop.  There, just across the street, was a pair of brown doe eyes he would never forget. The fact that she had escaped the beast those four years prior left him in awe of her.

 

    Dennis hadn’t even been thinking when he saw his name tumble from her lips.  He hadn’t been thinking when he crossed the street, or called out to her in the parking structure. He only started thinking again when she reached out to him.  After everything, why would she reach for him? When she stopped just short of touching him, Dennis gave in. He gave in to the craving that gnawed at him constantly; to touch her, feel how soft she was.  The sigh that escaped him when he rested his face against her palm had been completely involuntary. When she ran from him with tears in her eyes, he was confused. Had something scared her? Was she okay?  And it was that thought that had landed him where he was, staring at an apartment building that Patricia had led them to.

 

    Standing there, watching the entrance to the large apartment building made Dennis uncomfortable.  He didn’t like following her, it made his skin crawl. But as he stared at his reflection in the mirror, contemplating how angry Patricia would be if he simply left something grabbed his attention.  Sure enough, walking away from the front doors of the building, was the girl that had defied everything. She had changed her clothes but her hair still fell past her thin shoulders in dark waves. For a moment, Dennis simply admired her from behind the glass of the bookstore.  He felt his stomach churn, however, when an olive toned arm snaked its way around her shoulders.

 

    It had never occurred to him that she could be seeing someone.  When Casey turned and gave the young man a shy smile, a possessiveness came over Dennis that he hadn’t been prepared for.  It was in that moment, that he knew he had to leave. Go home, collect himself or speak with Patricia, whatever he had to do.  He wouldn’t cause harm to a boy that she seemed fond of, he couldn’t. With that thought in his mind, he walked briskly back to the small house they had been renting.

 

    With the apartment door closed behind him, Dennis neatly placed his jacket on the coat rack next to entrance.  Sighing, he removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. “Patricia, w-why do you do this?”  He asked into the quiet living room. “Because, my dear,” Patricia’s soft voice filled the room “that girl is a weakness to you.” She had practically spat the last at him.  With a deep breath through gritted teeth, Dennis let his head fall back to rest against the door with a dull thud. Patricia was still angry at him for something, but he needed to talk to Casey and find out why she had run from him.

 

__________

 

    Later that night, Casey lay on her side facing the door of her bedroom.  Lunch had been nice and for the rest of the evening she and Nick had stayed in and watched Netflix.  She had purposely chosen things that she had already seen several times; her mind was occupied with something else.  After four years, The Horde had found her. The thought of them finding her should have made her terrified. What if they took her again?  Did they know the beast had let her go? Had she, perhaps, wanted them to find her? All of these thoughts swam around her head as she stared at the tv, unfocused.

 

    Before she really knew what was going on, Nick was whispering in her ear that it was getting late and that they should go to bed.  Casey silently agreed and stood to follow him to her simple bedroom. Her bedding was all gray, and the walls were painted a rustic brown.  She didn’t have many decorations in her room, she hadn’t really kept any over the years. There was a small crate of books in one corner, and a tall, six drawer dresser opposite her bed.

 

    The dresser had been her fathers and she had taken it with her everywhere.  With a deep sigh, her eyes moved to the top of the dresser. Only two items sat atop it.  A framed picture of her and her father from a hunting trip was the first. It wasn’t her favorite, and her uncle John had taken it but it was the only one she still had.  The only other item on top of the dresser was where her eyes lingered. In an old, crystal vase that she had found in a thrift store, sat a single flower. Casey rotated it out with a fresh one any time it withered and died.  Maybe it was her way of keeping a part of him around; or maybe a reminder of the terrible things she had been witness to.

 

    As a tear slid down Casey’s cheek to wet the pillow beneath her, she had two final thoughts that night. The first, she needed another yellow carnation. The second was much more difficult for her.  As she closed her eyes that night, Casey couldn’t help but think that the arms wrapped around her should have belonged to someone else.

 


End file.
